(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved turbine engine component having a micro-circuit for cooling the platform of said turbine engine component.
(b) Prior Art
Present configurations for the airfoil portion of a turbine blade do not use dedicated cooling to relieve platform distress, particularly at the edges. As a consequence, severe oxidation and erosion occurs at the edge of the platform. This oxidation and erosion can lead to cracking which affects the turbine blade structurally. Platform cracks tend to propagate towards the airfoil fillet and link up with other cracks originating from other high stress concentration areas on the airfoil and the platform. Enlarging the flow areas between adjacent platforms to deal with oxidation and erosion provides a way for parasitic leakage air to affect adversely the intended performance for the engine.
One way to resolve these limitations, without changing the airfoil design is to introduce more cooling flow which in turn affects the overall engine performance. Since this configuration is not acceptable, a new configuration design is required. Ideally, this new configuration should not increase the coolant flow for cooling.